WEEKDAY SERVICES

Wednesday, September 26 — FALLING ASLEEP OF ST. JOHN THE THEOLOGIAN—

Div. Liturgy at 8:30 a.m.

Also a PARAKLESIS to the Most Holy Theotokos at 6 p.m.

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 MEMORIAL SERVICE

On Sunday, a 3 year memorial service will be offered for the repose of  the soul of Peter Stefanou, and a 21 year memorial service for Stefanos Stefanou.

The coffee hour is kindly hosted by the Stefanou family.

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 SUNDAY & GREEK SCHOOL’S START

 Our Sunday School started last Sunday September 16th.  Please do not forget to register your children.  If you would like to help with Sunday School, please call the Church office or contact Eleni Raschi at eleniraschi@gmail.com.

            Our Greek School started Wednesday, September 19th at 4 p.m. Please do not forget to register your children for an exciting new school year. Call the office  at 617-625-2222.

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   THE DORMITION FAMILY TABLE

          The next Dormition Family Table will be served on Wednesday, October 3rd & 17th, 2018 from 4 p.m.—6 p.m. We are looking for volunteers to help cook and serve.  Cooking starts at 2:00 p.m.

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 FESTIVAL THANK YOU TO ALL

 Fr. Konstantinos Manetas, the president Evangelos Kechris and the parish council members of the Church of the Dormition in Somerville, want to express our warmest thanks and deep gratitude to all the visitors who visited our parish during our annual festival last weekend. It was a majestic happening that brought together a few thousand people from different cultural backgrounds, who enjoyed our tasty homemade greek foods and traditional greek music and dances.

Many heartfelt thanks go to the businesses and people who offered their financial support to this fabulous event of ours in kind or money. We are always indebted to them and recognize their precious contribution.

We would also like to acknowledge, thank and pray for the wellbeing of all those who volunteered their services from outside our parish during these three extremely successful but very tiring days.

Last but not least, we want to loudly applaud the parish cooks and their assistants, who prepared a fantastic selection of foods, the leaders of the church festival committee Andy Galbadis and Diane Karavitis and its members for their hard work in preparing the event, the Church Philoptochos ladies, the team captains and all the dedicated parishioners who served at the different festival stations for 72 hours in a row!

Wishing to all a prosperous and blessed life in Christ, we pray to see you again next year! 

1st SUNDAY OF LUKE

Protopresbyter, Fr. Konstantinos Manetas

Our Holy Church has declared that as of this Sunday and until the Sunday of the Prodigal Son we will be reading the gospel of St. Luke. St Luke’s gospel is well known for its detailed descriptions of all the events of the life of our Lord Jesus Christ, and aids us in our understanding of the mystery of Jesus Christ and His acts for our salvation.

Today’s gospel reading refers to the miracle of catching fish and to God’s call upon His  disciples to fish for humans and their souls. Jesus went to the lake Genneesaret and preached to a big crowd. Since He wanted to be able to look at His audience, He asked Peter to let Him stand on his fishing boat. When Jesus Christ finished his sermon and in order to thank Peter for allowing Him to use his boat, He invited him and his partners to launch down their nets into the deep and fish there. Peter was initially hesitant to follow Him because he had tried hard to fish all night long and had caught nothing, however he told Jesus that “nevertheless at your word I shall do it” and continued to obey. The result was that after a little while they caught so many fish that they almost broke their fishing nets from the weight, and they called upon their partners James and John, to come over with their own boat to help load all the fish. At that moment, the first among the Disciples, felt that he had next to him the Messiah and kneeling in front of Him full of humility for his sinfulness, said: “Oh Lord leave, go away from me, not because I don’t want you here but because I am not worthy to be near You.” Christ recognized Peter’s true feelings and humbleness and invited him from then onwards to fish along His side for human souls. In this gospel reading, we can see God’s power which can easily overcome the laws of nature as was done in this miracle, when so many fish were caught at a time when these experienced fishermen would have not gone fishing, out of fear that they would not be able to catch anything. They obeyed however God’s command and dropped their fishing nets in the water despite the fact that it went against their logic. Obedience is therefore, the necessary ingredient in order for a miracle to happen with the Grace of God. Obedience to God’s will, plus humility. These were the two virtues that Simon – Peter the plain fisherman from Genneesaret had, the  Saint who today holds the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven. My brothers, these two virtues are interconnected because it is impossible for someone to be obedient without being humble, while at the same time, one can’t be humble according to God without being obedient. The leader of our faith our Lord Jesus Christ is the exemplar of such obedience, since as we learn from St. Paul, He was “obedient till death, death by cross” towards his Heavenly Father. He also is an exemplar of humility since He stepped down from His Heavenly Kingdom and became Man, was spat upon, was tortured and was eventually crucified by us, in order to save us from the devil and ultimately from death.

The Holy Fathers of our Church refer many times to these two virtues in their sayings. St. John the Ladder states about obedience: “Obedience is the burial of our own wishes and the resurrection of humility”.  Obedience in spiritual matters implies the death of our wishes and wants, which as a result transforms man’s passions. Our Church has proven that who ever can obey can also be cured from his inner illnesses and can transform his inner world. The devil had a will of his own. He wanted to become God in the place of God and that’s why he was thrown out into eternal hell and that’s why he dragged Adam and Eve into disobedience against the godly will.

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, obedience and humbleness are the two basic virtues that form the link between husband and wife, the one that will allow them to travel through life together in unity. Husbands and wives have to obey one another and be humble, controlling their wishes and egos.

And as parents, the only way to pass these virtues on to their children, is if they themselves strive to have them and be exemplars for a Christian life. The same way the fishermen obeyed Christ’s will and then were showered with His grace, in the same way, when there is obedience and humility in man’s life, then God can intervene and take care of his troubles and lift all the obstacles.                                                               

  AMEN